ASSOCIATION BETWEEN LUNG ADENOCARCINOMA AND PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS: A CASE REPORT

The association of pulmonary tuberculosis and bronchogenic carcinoma is relatively rare but serious. This coexistent statement presents diagnostic challenges and raises concerns regarding tolerance to combined antituberculous and antineoplastic chemotherapy, thereby complicating management and potentially worsening the prognosis. This highlights the importance of establishing an early diagnosis. We report the case of a 59-year-old patient with a history of chronic smoking (76 pack-years), who had quit smoking, and occasional alcohol consumption, which had also been discontinued. His symptoms had been present for three months and were characterized by the onset of chest pain, worsening dyspnea, and marked deterioration of his general condition. Thoracic imaging raised suspicion of malignancy, which was subsequently confirmed histologically by biopsies obtained during flexible bronchoscopy. Concurrently, Mycobacterium tuberculosis was detected in bronchial aspirates. The coexistence of pulmonary tuberculosis and bronchogenic carcinoma complicated the therapeutic management of our patient and was associated with an unfavorable clinical outcome.